This device relates to heat sinks, and more particularly to heat sink devices that utilize a cooling airflow from a fan for cooling an electronic component such as an integrated circuit chip, a CPU chip, a large scale chip package, or a very large scale chip package.
Heat sink devices are known that include a base having one surface adapted for receiving heat from an electronic component and another surface for mounting a heat conductive, serpentine fin for transferring heat from the heat sink device to an airflow provided by a fan that either directs the airflow perpendicular to the heat rejecting surface of the electronic component or parallel to the heat rejecting surface of the electronic component. While at least some of these devices may work well for their intended purpose, there is always room for improvement. For example, in the field of computing, there is an ever increasing requirement for heat rejection from the CPU chip as the power and speed of the CPU chip increase. In this regard, the capabilities of current heat sink devices will be outstripped by the next generation of CPU chips.
It is the principal object of the invention to provide a new and improved heat sink.
It is another object of the invention to provide a new and improved heat sink for use with an impingement airflow fan.
In one form of the invention, a heat sink is provided for use with a fan for cooling an electronic component wherein the heat sink transfers heat from a heat rejecting surface of the electronic component to a cooling airflow provided by the fan. The heat sink includes a heat conducting base member including a substantially planar heat receiving surface for overlaying the heat rejecting surface of the electronic component to receive heat therefrom, a heat conducting tower extending from a side of the base member opposite from the heat receiving surface to receive heat therefrom, and a pair of serpentine fins to transfer heat from the tower to the airflow and the environment surrounding the heat sink. The tower includes a pair of spaced, oppositedly facing fin mount surfaces, with the spacing between the fin mount surfaces defining a width of the tower. The fin mount surfaces are planar, with the plane of each surface lying within 25xc2x0 of perpendicular to the heat receiving surface. Each of the fin mounts surfaces has an area larger than the area of the heat receiving surface. Each of the serpentine fins is formed from a folded strip of heat conducting material including a plurality of peaks and valleys connected by sidewalls. The valleys of one of the serpentine fins are bonded to one of the fin mount surfaces, and the valleys of the other serpentine fin are bonded to the other fin mount surface.
In one form, the peaks and valleys lie in planes that are substantially perpendicular to the heat receiving surface.
In another form, the peaks and valleys extend substantially parallel to the heat receiving surface.
In one form, the base and tower are a unitary piece of copper material.
In one form, the tower includes at least one heat pipe. In one embodiment of this form, the at least one heat pipe includes sidewalls that form at least part of each of the fin mount surfaces. In an alternate form, the heat pipe is embedded in at least one of the tower and the base.
In one form, the heat pipe is provided in the form of a vapor chamber enclosed within the base and the tower and a two phase fluid sealed within the vapor chamber, with the base acting as an evaporator of the heat pipe and the tower acting as a condenser of the heat pipe.
In one form, the fin mount surfaces extend past the heat receiving surface in a direction parallel to the heat receiving surface.
In one form, the heat receiving surface is larger than the width of the tower in a direction parallel to the width of the tower.
In accordance with one aspect of the invention, a heat sink is provided for use with an impingement type fan for cooling an electronic component wherein the heat sink transfers heat from a heat rejecting surface of an electronic component to an impingement airflow provided by the fan in a direction perpendicular to the heat rejecting surface. The heat sink includes a heat conducting base member having a substantially planar heat receiving surface for overlaying the heat rejecting surface of the electronic component to receive heat therefrom, a heat conducting tower extending from a side of the base member opposite from the heat receiving surface to receive heat therefrom, and a pair of serpentine fins to transfer heat from the tower to the airflow. The tower includes a pair of spaced, oppositedly facing fin mount surfaces, with the spacing between the fin mount surfaces defining a width of the tower. The fin mount surfaces are planar, with the plane of each surface lying within 25xc2x0 of perpendicular to the heat receiving surface. Each serpentine fin is formed from a folded strip of heat conducting material including a plurality of peaks and valleys connected by sidewalls. The peaks and valleys lie in planes that are substantially perpendicular to the heat rejecting surface. The valleys of one of the serpentine fins is bonded to one of the fin mount surfaces, and the valleys of the other serpentine fin are bonded to the other fin mount surface.
Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following specification, including the drawings and independent claims.